By R.V. Baugus
The topic of leadership is one that is very common in articles written about the business world. In today’s pandemic society, however, there is more that leaders must do as they guide their internal teams. It is leading under pressure, which so happens to be the very topic that Ron Harvey, a PCC Certified Leadership Coach, Speaker, Trainer, and Facilitator, will address when he presents at this year’s VenueConnect in Atlanta.
Leading Under Pressure addresses the greatest obstacle to personal/professional success, whether you are Front of House, Back of House, coordinating events on a field, organizing a trade show, or managing a performance onstage. No one rises to the occasion of leading under pressure without being intentional. The reality is pressure can make us do worse and can lead us to fail utterly. But there are things we can do to increase our ability to lead effectively when the stakes are high.
Harvey certainly brings the credentials for the topic. A retired U.S. Army Veteran with more than 34 years of 
leadership experience, his purpose is to “Make A Difference” by inspiring leaders to excel through learning, growth, and adding value to others.
Based in Columbia, SC, Ron is Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Global Core Strategies and Consulting (GCSC), and serves as the Chairman for the Columbia Chamber Small Business Council and is on the boards of Midlands Communities in Schools, and the Carolina Virginia Minority Supplier Diversity Council.
“I’ve been doing this topic and working in this space for about 10 years,” Harvey said. “My military background contributes in that what you expect may not actually occur and yet people still observe you and how you respond to what’s happening around you. When the stakes are high and the tempers are flaring, the requirements to lead are still there but everything has kind of gone away from what normally happens. But people still require you to lead.”
Harvey’s presentation will connect with the audience, as recent work placed him training at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, which is led by Cheryl Swanson, CVE. “They brought us in to help them understand and speaking in light of what they do and how they work with pressure,” Harvey said.
The added pressure layer of COVID-19 is yet another hurdle that venue managers deal with.
“It has increased the pressure for what we’re seeing across the board with knowing when to return back or not to return back (to work),” Harvey said. “Everything you guys do is around customer service, and right now it is important to have your team do a phenomenal job of customer service.
“That said, we’re seeing the breaking point whether it is from the mental health or just being away from the job or all the things showing up in the workplace. The other thing we are seeing is people feeling a little resentful to ‘get back to business as usual’ when everything around them has changed. That’s causing a lot of pressure for leaders to know because it’s going to rub some people the wrong way. How do you do business not as usual but help people get back to a lifestyle that’s different but still effective?
Harvey said that there is also the anxiety of returning back to work and what awaits in the new normal, something that was addressed at the Convention Center.
“What does that returning look like?” he said. “Are there enough hand sanitizer stations, are the tables far enough apart, or how about people who want to wear masks but some people don’t want to wear masks for a variety of reasons? That’s a lot of pressure on a leader. A lot of the staff might not feel safe or comfortable, so there’s a lot of anxiety about returning to the office.”
As for a primary takeaway for his audience, Harvey said simply, “Ensure that your audio matches your video.”
“As a leader, what you do is more important than what you say,” he added. “If your actions are not aligned with what’s coming out vocally, people are confused and they don’t want to follow you. The first thing that creates distrust or lack of loyalty is to say one thing and then do another.”
Harvey speaks of his company as one about creating a winning culture where people want to be a part of it.
“What we mean by that is that we focus on three things for the leadership of an organization: building trust, creating an environment that makes a difference, and adding value to people. That’s really the foundation of our entire organization.”
That is also why the motto for his organization is “People Always Matter.” Rest assured the audio matches the video.
